I suggest that you check your orchids weekly for any signs of disease or trouble. The earlier a problem is discovered the easier it is to effectively treat the problem.
Orchid Diseases:
- Bacterial Problems:
One common bacteria problem is known as "brown spot". This is a serious infection and can kill your plant. It can be identified by a brown blister that looks somewhat "watery" located on one of the leaves. Orchid Diseases: Bacterial Problems The blister enlarges and can infect the whole leaf and the tissue can become wet and soggy as it rots enlarge quickly and soon, the whole leaf will become infected. If the infection reachs the crown of the plant, it will likely be fatal. Phalaenopsis orchids are particularly prone to getting crown rot. If a plant is infected it is important to keep the infection from spreading both on the individual plant and to other plants in your collection. Remove the infected parts with a new, sterile single edged razor blade. It is recommended to treat with a chemical like Physan which is effective on both bacteria and fungus.
- Fungal Problems:
Fungus on orchids can cause a lot of problems and can be serious. If not properly treated they can lead to rot, yellow leaves and orchid death. The best way to prevent fungal infections is to control the conditions that favor the growth of fungi in the first place.
Fungal problems can come from a number of different organisms. Black Rot is often caused by Phytophthora. The grey molds are usually Botrytis cinerea. Root rots come most often from the Pythium and Phytophthora.
Black Rot can develop in orchid roots and leaves. It is promoted by letting the plant sit in water or if the orchid media has decomposed enough to rot. There are soft rotted areas on the leaves, new growths and sometimes the roots. Once it spreads to the roots, the lifeline of a healthy orchid plant it can be fatal. Named for its color the leaves will turn brown and then black. As with a bacterial infection treat by cutting the infected area off past the infected area and into the healthy tissue. It is important to use sterile technique in between cuts if one is cutting infected plant material. Or use new single edged razor blades and discard the blade if it has been used on the rotted material. Do not use a blade on rotted material and then cut healthy material or you will just spread the disease. Use a fungicide like Physan on the cut areas of the plant.
Leaf Spot is a fungus that affects injured leaves. It is on of the causes of yellow leaves. It starts on the underside and then can spread to the top of the leaf. It can look like very small roundish brown sunken spots. Treatment is to remove the badly damaged leaves and treat with a fungicide.
Root Rot will sap the life of the plant over a period of months before it dies. The leaves may appear droopy and stunted. Brown-black areas are seen in the roots and the roots are often clearly rotten or missing. Sometimes the leaves will be twisted and yellowed. Treat root rot by cutting off all rotted and infected areas, sterilizing your cutting tool after every cut (or use a new single edged razor blade) as previously described. Discard all the old potting medium, cut the rotten roots away treat with a fungicide and repot with new potting material and a new sterile pot. Reduce water for a while after repotting until the orchid has recouperated.
Another common fungal disease is petal blight. This causes an orchid flower to develop spots. It happens when water is allowed to collect on the surfaces of the flowers. If this is the case, you will need to use a fungicide. And it is important to increase the air circulation around the plants and to decrease the humidity levels. Removing the infected flowers will help reduce the spread of the disease. If your plant is affected with petal blight, you will need to apply fungicide to get rid of the problem. You should also increase air circulation and decrease the humidity levels. It's also best if you remove flowers that have been infected. This will reduce the likelihood of this orchid disease spreading.
- Viral Problems:
Some orchid diseases are caused by a virus. Viral infections are much harder to diagnose. Its important to monitor your plants for diseases affecting orchids because they can spread from plant to plant, and kill all of your plants.
Orchid Diseases: Viral Disease Orchid viruses are not that common. Over 20 different viral diseases have been identified in orchids. Viral infections, unlike bacterial and fungus infections are invisible. It may take some time to notice that your plant is ill and that something is affecting its health. The symptoms of an orchid virus are hard to detect at first and can look like other diseases. Sometimes there is a modeling of the tissue or a slight yellowish or white streaking. Later, they may be brown pitting on the leaf. Unlike fungus and bacterial infections the damage is systemic. It is not merely on the surface, it will appear to penetrate the leaf tissue. Viral infections are easily spread through contact of fluids. Insect vectors can spread a viral infection, as well as using unsterilized tools when working with your orchids.
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